


Come a little closer, let me taste your smile

by Rosetylars



Category: Cricket RPF, Sports RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Clubbing, First Meetings, Love Confessions, M/M, Making Out, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-29
Updated: 2020-10-29
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:41:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27262915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosetylars/pseuds/Rosetylars
Summary: The club was loud, and the alcohol had gotten to Pat’s head. A gorgeous stranger caught his eye.“THAT - GUY - IS - HOT,” Pat enunciated.Josh winced, rubbing his ear. “Who?”Pat tried to point him out, but in all of the kerfuffle, Pat had lost him in the crowd.They all headed back to the bar, but on the way, Pat saw the gorgeous stranger again. He met Pat’s eyes across the room, and gave Pat a glittering smile.Pat didn’t even think. He abandoned Josh and Starcy, crossing the room to meet him.
Relationships: Pat Cummins/Mitch Marsh
Comments: 10
Kudos: 15





	Come a little closer, let me taste your smile

The club was loud, and the alcohol had gotten to Pat’s head, making him feel giggly and happy. He was out with Starcy and Josh - two friends who were doing the same sports science course as him, who were also his teammates for uni cricket.

The three of them had just bought drinks at the bar, and they were making their way back to the dance floor, when a gorgeous stranger caught Pat’s eye.

Pat elbowed Josh in the side, catching his attention. Josh looked at him questioningly.

“That boy is the most perfect thing I’ve ever seen,” Pat said, voice raised to compete with the aggressive remix of a Post Malone song that was blaring over the speakers. (For the record, no amount of remixing could make Post Malone any less depressing).

Of course, Josh couldn’t hear him. “What?”

Pat rolled his eyes, putting a hand up to Josh’s ear and leaning in to shout directly into his ear.

“THAT - GUY - IS - HOT,” Pat enunciated.

Josh winced, rubbing his ear. “Who?”

Pat tried to point him out, but in all of the kerfuffle, Pat had lost him in the crowd. He huffed, taking a sip of his rum and diet coke to drown his sorrows.

At that point, the music picked up, and Starcy dragged them closer to the middle of the dance floor.

In amongst a fair bit of sweaty dancing, a couple of girls asked Pat to make out with them. Both times, he wheeled out his usual excuse of his girlfriend being in the toilet, and as usual, that was enough to put the girls off, disappearing back into the crowd.

The second time, Josh rolled his eyes. “ _My_ girlfriend isn’t in the toilet. Because she doesn’t exist. Because girls only want _Pat,_ ” he chuckled.

Pat got the gist despite the noise, and he shot Josh an apologetic look.

“Don’t know why you don’t just say yes every once in a while,” Starcy mused.

Pat had the last sip of his drink, shrugging. “Don’t know where they’ve been,” he replied, shouting loud enough for Josh and Starcy to hear him, but not enough for other club-goers to overhear. “Could get glandular fever or something.”

Josh and Starcy exchanged a look, and Josh shook his head while Starcy rolled his eyes.

“Whatever, mate,” Josh declared. “Drinks?"

They all headed back to the bar, but on the way, Pat saw the gorgeous stranger again. (It wasn’t as though Pat had been actively scanning the crowd for him, ever since he’d first seen him).

The stranger met Pat’s eyes across the room, and gave Pat a glittering smile.

Pat didn’t even think. He abandoned Josh and Starcy, crossing the room to meet him.

Josh and Starcy called after him, but Pat couldn’t think of anything other than getting to the gorgeous stranger, _right now_.

The other boy had been with friends, too, but he had a word with them, eyes still trained on Pat, and they nodded, heading to the bar as well.

Pat got to the other boy through the crowd, and then it was just the two of them.

The other boy was even more perfect up close. He was wearing a white linen shirt, unbuttoned halfway down his sternum, and Pat could make out the shape of broad, muscled shoulders underneath it.

Pat realised he was staring silently half a moment too late.

“Hi,” the other boy said.

“Hi,” Pat repeated, mouth suddenly dry. “You’re gorgeous.”

The other boy chuckled, ducking his head with delight at the compliment. “Thank you, you’re pretty attractive yourself,” he replied.He was still smiling, and Pat noticed that his smile was so warm that the corner of his eyes crinkled. Pat was in love.

“I’m Mitch,” the other boy said, holding out a hand.

“I’m Pat,” Pat replied, shaking his hand. Mitch’s skin felt soft, but Pat noticed the little callouses right near his fingers - Pat had them himself, from weight bars in the gym. So, Mitch was sporty _and_ gorgeous. Pat wanted to marry him.

“Pretty name for a gorgeous boy,” Mitch said gently, chancing a light grip of Pat’s jaw, swiping a thumb along his cheekbone.

Pat looked at Mitch’s lips, and Mitch darted his tongue out to moisten them subconsciously.

“Kiss me?” Pat breathed, barely audible over the music.

Mitch obliged.

Their lips met gently, at first, but as club kisses tended to do, it deepened immediately. Mitch’s tongue dragged against Pat’s, and Pat had to hold back a soft groan at the sensation.

Mitch brought his hand up to lace it through Pat’s hair, and Pat’s hands came to rest either side of Mitch’s waist, as they made out.

Mitch’s mouth tasted like crisp beer, and Pat was sure his own tasted of rum and coke, and it was the stereotypical nightclub kiss, but this felt like so much more.

They made out for so long that Pat’s jaw ached. When they had to take a few moments to catch their breath, Mitch chuckled softly.

“You’re a good kisser,” Mitch murmured, looking into Pat’s eyes.

Pat had never seen brown eyes look so warm in his life.

“You are, too,” Pat replied, chuffed.

They both leant back in, continuing where they had left off. It was the most pleasurable kiss Pat had ever had, and he had pretty much forgotten all about Josh and Starcy by the time he opened his eyes again.

“Can I have your number?” Mitch asked gently, making Pat’s heart flip.

Pat nodded, grinning, pulling his phone out to offer to Mitch -

Until someone rushed over to Mitch, pulling at his arm urgently.

“Mate, we’ve gotta go. Ash just munted all over the bathroom floor.”

“Cam, please, give me two minutes,” Mitch protested, hand wrapped around Pat’s, Pat’s phone held delicately between them.

Mitch tried desperately to punch in all of the numbers, but Cam had pulled him away within two seconds.

Pat stood in place, heart breaking. Mitch was pulled out of the club by his friend, and he looked over his shoulder at Pat as they went, a heartbroken expression on his face.

Pat looked at his phone. The last two numbers were missing.

He could have cried.

And then he realised he was standing alone, in the middle of a bustling club. Before he could panic, though, he told himself his friends were probably two of the tallest blokes here. He scanned the crowd and found them both pretty quickly, in the middle of the dance floor.

It was too loud to debrief, so they decided to just enjoy the night and chat later.

*

A couple of hours later, they slid into a booth at the Macca’s on the club’s street corner, and Josh looked expectantly at Pat.

“Okay mate, spill.”

Pat blushed as the memory of Mitch, and the way they kissed, flooded his mind.

“You were hooking up with him for _ages_ ,” Starcy mumbled, sipping his Diet Coke.

Pat frowned. “Wait, actually? I thought it was like, five minutes.”

Josh pulled a face. “Nah, mate. Twenty, minimum. Tell us what happened,” he insisted.

Pat hadn’t realised it was that long.

“Well... his name was Mitch,” Pat revealed, biting into a nugget.

Starcy cringed. “You didn’t think that’s a bit weird? That he has the same name as your best friend?”

Pat shrugged. “To be honest, I wasn’t exactly thinking about you at the time.”

Josh chuckled. “Keep going.”

“We obviously... got to know each other a bit. He said I was a good kisser. I think I fell in love,” Pat chuckled, making the boys groan. “But then his mate came over and took him away, right when we were exchanging numbers,” he lamented.

“Oh, no,” Josh frowned. “Did you get his number?”

Pat sighed, shaking his head. “Two numbers short.”

“Fuck,” Starcy supplied helpfully. “That really sucks, mate.”

Pat sighed, eating a few soggy chips in misery. They all ate in silence, for a while, until Josh spoke.

“The one that got away,” Josh mused.

Pat pulled a face, and Starcy burst out laughing.

“Oh my god,” Starcy groaned. “How dramatic.”

Josh shrugged. “That’s what it sounds like to me.”

Pat didn’t admit how much he felt that was true.

***

“I fucking hate you, Turner,” Mitch grumbled, the following morning.

Ash, like Mitch, had crashed at Cam’s place after their night out.

He cracked an eye open from the other couch. “What did I do?”

“I was just about to get someone’s number, and Cam ripped me out of there for your drunk arse,” Mitch lamented.

Ash grimaced, rubbing his eyes. “Really? I can’t remember,” he admitted. “Sorry, mate.”

Mitch sighed. “He was fucking perfect, too.”

Ash took notice, sitting up straight. “Really? What was he like?”

Mitch’s heart ached as his mind replayed their encounter for the thousandth time since the previous night. “Beautiful,” Mitch mumbled. “Tall, slim. Gorgeous blue eyes. Floppy brown hair.”

Ash pouted at Mitch’s tone. “And I stopped you from getting his number?”

Mitch grimaced. “Kind of. I’d nearly finished typing my number into his phone when Cam pulled me the fuck out of there.”

Ash frowned, apologetic. “Sorry, Marshy. That’s not fair.”

Mitch bit his lip. He knew he shouldn’t be so hung up on a hook up in a club, but he couldn’t shake the ache in his chest that he felt every time he realised he wasn’t going to see Pat again.

***

Pat thought about Mitch an awful lot, after that night.

He’d gotten with the perfect boy, only to never see him again.

The thought was depressing.

One Saturday - about two months after the night Pat met Mitch - Pat, Starcy and Josh had a T20 match. It was against their rival university, and it was a fixture the whole team looked forward to every season.

Their captain, Steve, was in Hobart with his boyfriend for the weekend, so Pat was the next in line.

Pat headed out to the toss, excited to get going.

They were a few minutes early - the umpire wasn’t there yet. Pat went to shake the opposing captain’s hand, and his heart stopped.

It was _Mitch_.

Mitch was standing right in front of him, in the black and yellow uniform of his university.

Mitch was just as surprised as Pat.

“Mitch,” Pat breathed.

“Oh my god,” Mitch grinned, wrapping Pat up in a tight hug. He buried his head in Pat’s shoulder, breathing deeply. When they had met in the club, Pat had smelt of cologne and alcohol. Today, though, Pat smelt delightful, like sunscreen and vanilla.

“I can’t believe it’s you,” Pat grinned, putting a fraction of distance between them, just to look at Mitch’s face.

“I can’t believe it, either,” Mitch agreed. “I’m not going home without your number, today,” he chuckled.

Pat grinned, a glow of excitement in his chest. “No way. I’ll write it down twice for good measure,” he agreed.

Mitch grinned at him, but their conversation was cut short as the umpire arrived for the coin toss.

Mitch won the toss, but he let Pat choose anyway. Pat elected to send Mitch’s team in to bat, and they walked back in the direction of their teams together.

“Do you want to go to a bar, after?” Mitch asked softly.

Pat tried to hold back his thrilled grin. “I’d love to,” he agreed. “After we smash you guys,” he teased.

Mitch shoved Pat playfully, making him giggle. “In your dreams, Pat.”

Pat didn’t point out that yes, Mitch had been featuring in his dreams.

Mitch clapped Pat on the shoulder to wish him luck, and soon, it was time for the match.

Mitch came in to bat at four. He got off to a rapid start, and he had 43 from just 24 balls.

Pat had already bowled a couple of overs in the power play, but he decided he’d have a crack when Mitch was on strike in the later overs.

When Pat stood at the top of his mark, he met Mitch’s eyes, and they shared a soft smile.

Pat ran in, and felt like he executed a good delivery. Clearly, though, Mitch enjoyed facing pace. He dispatched it over the short boundary for six, and grinned sheepishly at Pat.

49*.

The very next ball, though, Pat got everything right. The delivery confused Mitch, and got him out lbw.

Pat was elated with the key wicket - he was the opposition’s captain, after all - but he did feel a twinge of regret that Mitch missed out on his half century.

*

Pat’s team ended up winning, narrowly. Pat was excited about the result, but even more excited about heading out with Mitch afterwards.

He had explained the situation to Josh and Starcy, after the toss, and they had been thrilled for him, offering to take Pat’s kit bag home for him.

It was Pat’s home ground, so he waited outside the away change rooms, a knot of good nerves in his stomach.

When Mitch emerged, his hair was wet from a shower, and he looked effortlessly stunning in a short sleeved shirt and shorts.

“Someone dressed up,” Pat teased, offering his hand.

Mitch held it, and they began walking in the direction of the uni bar.

“I was gonna head out with some teammates, but I got a better offer,” Mitch replied, giving Pat a glittering smile.

Pat’s heart flipped, and he nearly melted.

“Better offer, huh?” Pat repeated.

“Don’t flatter yourself, mister,” Mitch teased.

Pat couldn’t stop smiling.

*

About an hour and a half later, they were three drinks deep, sitting together on the same side of a booth, at the bar.

They were sitting so close their thighs were pressed up against one another, and when Mitch looked at Pat, Pat could almost taste the beer he’d been drinking.

They had talked about everything and nothing, ensuring to get each other’s numbers, and added each other on Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram, just to be sure.

Pat learnt that Mitch was over from Perth to study. He also found out that Mitch considered the most difficult aspect of studying interstate to be missing his family - he showed Pat pictures of his brother’s family and his sister’s family, glowing as he spoke about his nieces and nephews.

Pat had never felt so strongly for someone, especially when only meeting them for the second time.

After a very enthusiastic discussion about footy, Mitch brought up what had been on Pat’s mind.

“So, that night at the club...” Mitch began.

Pat sipped his drink to give Mitch a moment to continue.

“Was that... did it... fuck, I don’t know how to say it,” Mitch cursed himself, scratching his head. He tried to change tack. “I think about it all the time. Like, all the time. Am I crazy?”

Pat was stunned. Mitch had voiced what had been on Pat’s mind for months.

“You’ve been on my mind ever since,” Pat admitted, using his straw to stir his drink. “I’ve tried to talk myself out of it, but I couldn’t.”

Mitch smiled, thrilled. “I feel so drawn to you,” Mitch murmured, tracing a fingertip along Pat’s knuckles. “You’re perfect. _And_ you play cricket,” he chuckled.

Pat felt like he was glowing. “That’s how I feel about you, too,” he smiled softly.

By now, their faces were only millimetres apart. Mitch’s eyes flicked down to Pat’s lips, in question.

Pat leant in and closed the gap between them, kissing Mitch, doing what he had been dreaming of for two months.

Mitch’s mouth was warm, and Pat wanted to get lost in the sensation.

The kiss was just as perfect as it had been at the club, but this time, there was a bubble of excitement in Pat’s chest - the thought that this could be something more than just a club hook up.

They kissed at length, until Pat’s stomach let out an untimely grumble. Pat groaned at the sound.

“Sorry,” Pat mumbled.

Mitch shook his head, smiling fondly, and gave Pat a chaste peck before sitting back and running a hand through Pat’s hair. “Don’t be. I’m hungry, too. Come over? We can order pizza,” he suggested.

Pat’s stomach filled with butterflies. Mitch had just _invited him over._

“Are you sure?” Pat asked.

“Of course,” Mitch agreed. “It’s only a couple of stops on the train. We can be there in fifteen,” he said gently, giving Pat another chaste kiss.

*

Mitch had been close - they were at his place within twenty minutes. Pat didn’t know what to expect, and when they arrived, it was a small apartment, clearly designed for students.

“Do you live with anyone?” Pat asked.

Mitch shook his head, kicking off his shoes by the door, so Pat did the same.

“Shared with my mate Marcus, last semester, but his boyfriend just moved to Sydney, so he moved in with him,” Mitch explained.

Pat nodded, listening. Mitch got out two beers from the fridge, handing Pat one and inviting him to the couch.

“I can’t believe we actually ran into each other at cricket,” Mitch chuckled, sitting down on the couch, more closely to Pat than probably necessary.

Pat grinned, clinking his beer bottle against Mitch’s in cheers. “I can’t, either,” he agreed. “Maybe it was fate.”

“Maybe it was,” Mitch agreed, looking at Pat as if he were the most perfect thing in the universe.

Pat blushed under the scrutiny.

Soon, though, Mitch got out his phone and ordered their pizza online (they agreed to share a ham and cheese, after a passionate discussion about whether pineapple belonged on pizza - Mitch said yes, Pat said no. Pat won the debate convincingly).

They enjoyed the evening together, and Pat was astounded at how easily they got along. He felt like he and Mitch were old friends.

When they decided to watch a movie after dinner, Pat thought Mitch would make a move.

They laid down sideways on the couch, Pat against Mitch’s chest, as the movie began. Mitch reached for Pat’s hand and played with his fingers, before eventually shifting to play with his hair.

Pat was so comfortable that he closed his eyes during a slow scene, fully intending to stay awake.

*

When Pat opened his eyes, the moonlight was flickering in through Mitch’s blinds, which were still open. The TV was off.

Pat tried to shift, and quickly realised he was snug in Mitch’s arms, and Mitch had fallen asleep, too.

Mitch stirred when Pat moved.

“Have a good rest?” Mitch asked, voice husky from sleep.

Pat had never been so attracted to someone in his life.

“I did,” Pat replied. “Didn’t mean to fall asleep, though, sorry,” he grimaced.

Mitch shrugged, and Pat shifted in the circle of Mitch’s arms, leaning up to press a peck to Mitch’s lips.

Mitch smiled, kissing Pat back.

“How are you so cute?” Mitch asked, grinning so widely that his eyes crinkled in the way that made Pat melt.

Pat ducked his head at the praise, and Mitch pecked his forehead.

“I should get out of your hair,” Pat sighed, sitting up.

Mitch pouted, sitting up as well. “You’re welcome to stay,” he said gently. “If that’s something you’d want,” he added.

Pat was torn. He half never wanted to leave Mitch again, but he knew Josh and Starcy were probably worried about him, too.

“I’d love to, but my friends are probably worrying about me,” Pat lamented.

Mitch nodded with understanding, reaching his hand out to run it through Pat’s hair. Pat closed his eyes at the contact, leaning into the touch.

“Are they from cricket, too?” Mitch asked.

“Yeah, the other two fast bowlers,” Pat replied.

Mitch grimaced, remembering the big wickets the other boys had taken to dismiss Mitch’s teammates, today. “They were pretty good,” he commented.

Pat chuckled, nodding.

They decided to meet up for lunch the following day, and they shared a ‘quick goodbye kiss’ that quickly became so hot that it made them both breathless.

They stood together at Mitch’s front door, lost in each other.

“See you tomorrow,” Pat said, squeezing Mitch’s bicep fondly.

Mitch lightly gripped Pat's jaw, giving him one last peck on the lips.

“Miss you already,” Mitch admitted.

Pat blushed, heart warm.

*

“Where have you been?” Josh asked, when Pat got home. They were all in the living room, Josh and Starcy on the main couch, Pat in an armchair. Pat felt like he was being interrogated. 

“You said you were heading to the bar, but that was at four. It’s ten,” Starcy added.

Pat knew his swollen lips probably gave him away. “We went back to Mitch’s house,” he replied.

Josh and Starcy exchanged a look.

Josh came out with it. “You boys fuck?”

Pat’s eyes widened. “What- no!”

“You were there for an awfully long time, mate,” Starcy pointed out.

“We had pizza and fell asleep on the couch,” Pat admitted.

Josh and Starcy pulled faces at each other.

“Did he at least suck you off?” Josh asked.

“What? No!”

Starcy shook his head. “So you’re telling me you went back to this bloke’s place - the same bloke you’ve been crying about, saying you’ll never find someone like him again, that he was the one, that fate tore him away from you-“

“Mitchell Starc, I did _not_ cry over him.”

“You kind of did, mate,” Josh grimaced. “But we aren’t judging.”

“What I’m trying to say,” Starcy continued, “is that you finally got to be with him again... and you fell asleep?”

Pat sighed, suddenly exhausted as the whole day caught up with him. “We were comfortable,” he admitted gently. “We’re gonna go out for lunch tomorrow.”

“Wait, like a date?” Josh asked.

Pat shrugged. “If that’s what you want to call it,” he agreed.

“I can’t believe our Patty is _dating_ ,” Josh marvelled.

Pat rolled his eyes, but his heart was warm. He couldn’t wait for tomorrow.

***

The boys went out for lunch. Many times. They hung out, had sleepovers, had nights out, met each other’s friends, and even watched each other’s cricket matches when they didn’t clash.

They weren’t just dating.

They were together.

About four months into their relationship, when Mitch asked Pat to come stay with him in Perth for a week in the uni break, Pat agreed without hesitation.

Pat met Mitch’s family, and got to see the softer side of Mitch as he interacted with his nieces and nephews.

One afternoon, Pat and Mitch were at the beach. Mitch had just come to lay on a towel with Pat, after helping his young niece splash around in the ocean.

“Why are you so cute?” Pat asked gently, pecking Mitch on the nose.

Mitch smiled, ducking his head. “Nothing compared to you,” he insisted.

Pat shook his head fondly. “You’re perfect, Mitchy. I love you. I’m in love with you.”

Mitch looked at Pat, searching his face. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Pat grinned.

Mitch looked like he’d just won the lottery. “I’m in love with you, too, Patty. I’m so glad we met that night.”

Pat smiled at the memory. “I’m so glad we met again at cricket,” he added.

Mitch chuckled, pulling Pat against his chest and into a warm hug. Mitch was covered in salty water droplets, but Pat didn’t care. He loved Mitch. And Mitch loved him back. It was the best feeling in the world.


End file.
